Pumpkin Bread

Fall is here! Well, maybe not today…today it is going up to 97, but last weekend, it was fall, I swear. There was a cool, crisp breeze in the air, and it felt amazing. This time of year means 2 things in my household (1) time to put away our summer whites and try and remember where I managed to store all of our winter clothes (living in an apartment means being very creative with storage space, and sometimes I forget just exactly where I stored things 6 months ago) and (2) pumpkin bread. Actually, not just pumpkin bread—pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin flan, pumpkin soup, and the list goes on. Pumpkin bread is my favorite though. I absolutely love how the smell fills the entire apartment for days. My goal this fall is to learn how to use real pumpkin, but I haven’t seen any pumpkins at the grocery store yet, so for now, I’m sticking to the canned stuff. If anyone has any helpful tips on using real pumpkin, please feel free to share!


This recipe makes 2 loaves. Sometimes I throw in a cup of walnuts or chocolate chips, depending on the audience. I should add that this is my favorite pumpkin bread recipe, and I have my high school senior cookbook to thank. I believe this recipe was originally published in bon appétit magazine, and it became a favorite at potluck brunches.



Here is what you will need:

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-in. or 8.5x3.5x3-in loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in a large bowl to blend.

 Step 2: Mix in eggs and pumpkin.

Step 3: Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in another large bowl.

 Step 4: Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions.

Step 5: Divide batter equally between prepared pans Bake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

***Now rather that divide the batter into 2 pans, I used the other half of the mixture to make pumpkin chocolate-chip muffins. I added a little less than a cup of chocolate chips and cooked the muffins for around 17 minutes (I made them small). Keep an eye on them.

Ingredients
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1(16 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-in. or 8.5x3.5x3-in loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in a large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin.
Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Divide batter equally between prepared pans Bake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.* Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut around the edges of the loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

*if making muffins, cook 16-20 minutes and test with toothpick.

Whole-Wheat Brownies

So one of the reasons I started this blog was not only to force myself to constantly try new recipes but to also try recipes I might ordinarily shy away from. Well, this past Sunday, I finally got past my bizarre fear of yeast, and tonight, I finally tried two healthy baking alternatives that I had been curious about for a while now.  This recipe substitutes whole-wheat flour for half of the white flour and applesauce for the oil. I wasn't very confident that I would be blogging about this recipe with positive reviews, but actually, the brownies turned out really well. I couldn't get over how moist they were, and the chocolate chunks sprinkled on top really add a nice touch.

Now, I'm going to break it down: these are not the ultra-rich fudgy brownies you might find at a gourmet bakery, BUT they are a  great weeknight treat that you can eat without feeling super guilty. And the greatest test of all, I didn't reveal to my husband that these were made with whole-wheat flour and applesauce until after he took his second brownie. He genuinely liked them, and he never likes any of the random organic low-fat cookies I bring home from the grocery store.

The final verdict: I probably wouldn't make these for guests or a party (my mom passed on the belief that you don't invite people over to put them on a diet), but I will definitely make these again for myself...and maybe my husband if I decide to share. :-)

(and yes, I am still working on the new website....this may take a while, ha)

THE RECIPE

Here is what you will need:

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-in. square baking dish; line with parchment paper leaving a 2-in. overhang on all sides. (note: I do not have an 8-in. square baking dish, and I was running out of parchment paper....so this isn't the greatest example, but it did the trick! This makes cutting perfect brownies MUCH easier). Also, go ahead and start boiling water for Step 4.

Step 2:  In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Step 3:  In a large bowl, stir together sugar, applesauce, and egg.

Step 4: Place butter and 6 ounces of chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water; stir until melted. (Note: No need for a fancy double-boiler...just a heat proof bowl over hot water.)

Step 5: Stir chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture.

Step 6: Pour into pan and top with 2 ounces chocolate.

Step 7: Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Use parchment paper to lift cake from pan and cut into 16 squares.

ENJOY!

Recipe Courtesy: Martha Stewart in her Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-in. square baking dish; line with parchment paper leaving a 2-in. overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Step 2. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, applesauce, and egg. Place butter and 6 ounces of chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water; stir until melted. Stir chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into pan and top with 2 ounces chocolate.

Step 3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Use parchment paper to lift cake from pan and cut into 16 squares. (Store in airtight container, up to 5 days) Makes 16.